Sampling of Library Funding, Grants, and Partnership Resources in 2011
Last Modified: May 21, 2012
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Securing library funding is a complex issue these days. We've gathered some resources to help you tap in to options and approaches. Your additions to this document are welcome.
NEWS AND REPORTS
Although the news in 2011 about library funding is grim, there are nuggets of promise in the resolve and resilience of libraries and the people who staff them.
American Libraries Special Digital Supplement: State of America’s Libraries 2011 [PDF]
This 70-page report from ALA discusses all aspects of the current state of our libraries. The focus on funding begins on page 11, but it is no surprise that references to budget and funding issues are embedded throughout the document. Bits of good news:
- “Voters overwhelmingly entrusted their libraries with their tax dollars in referenda held between December 1, 2009, and November 30, 2010.” (page 14)
- “More than two-thirds of adults responding to a January 2011 Harris Poll Quorum …said that the library‘s assistance in starting a business or finding a job was important to them. These figures were up from a year earlier, testament both to Americans‘ entrepreneurial spirit and libraries‘ role in nourishing that spirit.” (page 16)
The ALA Public Information Office will keep you up to date with links to the latest federal, public and school library funding news. Be prepared for an eyeful of woe.
This Feb 2011 report summarizes the impact of OCLC’s community awareness campaign designed to highlight the value of public libraries and inform the public about critical library funding issues. One encouraging finding:
- “Over two-thirds of surveyed residents in both southern Georgia and central Iowa had planned or had taken an action supporting their local library.”
Get Your Geek On: Improve Local Funding Outlook through Community Advocacy
Archive and associated resources for the January 25, 2011, webinar with Jennifer Pearson, Heidi Gustad and Liz Kudwa presenting on the Geek the Library campaign.
Archive and associated resources for the January 25, 2011, webinar with Jennifer Pearson, Heidi Gustad and Liz Kudwa presenting on the Geek the Library campaign.
GRANTS
Grants for special library projects have long been part of the funding mix. Now more than ever, grant funding may be the lifeblood to preserve or extend key programs.
Don’t have time to go hunting for library grant opportunities? Let the indefatigable and resourceful authors of this blog—Stephanie Gerding & Pam MacKellar—do it for you. They track and report all types of grants for which libraries are eligible.
The Library Grants blogging duo teamed up to write the book that gives you a step-by-step tutorial and tools that will put you on the path to winning grants for your library. Stephanie presents a WebJunction webinar on the topic on May 4, 2011.
More from Stephanie Gerding (did we say “indefatigable”?): explore the entire grant process is small steps at your own pace. Five weekly blog posts (Nov-Dec 2010) outline phases of the grant writing and submission process to lead you week-by-week toward success.
Whether you prefer email alerts or an RSS feed, Grants.gov is the source to find and apply for federal grants.
A list of grant opportunities and providers of free books for reading incentive programs at your library.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
With budget and staff cuts, forming key community partnerships may be the best remedy for doing better with less.
Partners for the Future: Public Libraries and Local Governments Creating Sustainable Communities [PDF]
Libraries and their local governments have a similar mission to build vital and sustainable communities, according to this 2010 report from the Urban Libraries Council. With their goals aligned, these entities can create powerful partnerships to achieve success for all. The report examines the partner relationship and describes a number of ways that public libraries help move the community toward sustainability.
For many state libraries embarking on the BTOP application process, it was clear that they needed strong community partners to support the ambitious projects being proposed. As this TechSoup article (Feb 2011) emphasizes, it’s all about pooling resources to maximize services to the community.
This guide will help you develop talking points, define the steps to building relationships, and find potential partners. For each partner you’d like to approach, assess the elements of collaboration with the Potential Partners Worksheet.
COMMUNICATING VALUE
A conversation about library funding inevitably involves strategies and ideas for more effectively communicating the value of the library to stakeholders.
Derived from the popular Shift Happens videos, this recent, library-oriented adaptation is a visually compelling and persuasive promotion for the enduring value of libraries. Although it recycles the dubious claim that “the top 10 jobs of 2010 didn’t exist in 2004,” it provides plenty of other selling points for the value of libraries in our society.
“We used to be the information vault. Now we’re the launch pad.”
Do you know which messages speak loudest to voters and funders? Test your knowledge with this 2008 PowerPoint slide quiz presented by Sharon Morris, Colorado Department of Education.
Although the financial news in this American Libraries article (April 2011) is discouraging, the thread of tenacity and resourcefulness running through it lets “some rays of light permeate the gloom.” Passionate library staff and community members are stepping forward everywhere.
An example of a document shared with the public about where their tax dollars go and what the library offers as a return on their investment. And here's a report created by the state library of Florida that shares similar information.
“When one library is in trouble ALL libraries are in trouble!”
Save Libraries is a grassroots effort to compile information and communication resources for libraries that are facing devastating budget cuts. Founder Lori Reed touched a national nerve in her response to her own library’s fiscal meltdown.
FUNDRAISING
This guide covers the basics of annual funds, memorials and tributes, online giving and planned giving.
Library Funding Resources
A collection of resources—some of which are already listed in this document—created by Stephanie Gerding.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License
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